The Sacrificial Gift
by sarenelsoria
Summary: Ages past, Yavanna gave her children a gift, the ability to trade their life for those that they loved. Very few believe in this gift anymore, but Bilbo feels as though he needs to do something when Thorin, Fili and Kili are close to death. He wasn't expecting to survive, he really wasn't expecting to become a dwarf, or to be the One of a dwarven king.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

When Bilbo awoke after the battle was over, he stared up at the clouds for a moment, thinking how the nice day, didn't match the sounds of screaming he heard all around him. He got unsteadily to his feet and took off his ring. He walked through the dead, dying and wounded, feeling as though he were in a dream. There was no way any of this could ever be real. He looked for the Company, but saw only the healers. "Where's Thorin's Company?" Bilbo demanded and the healers stared at him.

"They are saying goodbye."

"Goodbye, who's hurt?"

"The Princes are mortally injured, it will only be a matter of time." One of the healers said and Bilbo suddenly realized just how much these dwarves meant to him and how much their people needed them.

"Take me to them, I'd like to preform a ritual of my own." Bilbo said and the dwarven healer nodded.

"At once Mr. Baggins, we have you to thank for reclaiming the homeland of my kinsmen." The healer said and Bilbo nodded before walking with him to the largest healing tents. The three Princes of Erebor lay on stone slabs, dressed in white robes that were stained red, with their blood, only their breathing showed that they yet lived. The entire company was there, their faces stoney, as they hummed.

"Can I say goodbye to them alone, it won't take more then an hour, but its a Hobbit passing ritual for Heart Kin." Bilbo said and the dwarves stared at him a moment, before nodding. They left the room together, still humming deep in their throats, Bilbo took the hands of the three dwarves, careful of their injuries. "From death to life, Mother hear my call, take from me this life, allow me the sacrifice for those I care for and wish to protect. Allow me the sacrifice, allow my life to be taken and reforged a new, in return for theirs. Take from me my life, all that I am, all that I might have been and give it to them. I am far less noble then they, in spirit and in deed, hear my request, grant me the life boon so that I might give my life for theirs. Allow them to see the grass once more, the mist in the mornings and light of the day. Allow them to feel stone under their feet, to love, to laugh to play. Allow them to be who they were meant to be, before someone tried to take their lives away. Allow them to see all they are meant to see, from this very day. Allow me to give of myself freely and pure of spirit, to those I consider my heart kin. As it began so will it end, by ending their lives shall be spared." Bilbo said and took up a dagger, before slitting his wrists, he held the blood to the dwarves lips and watched as they drank. "Blood of Heart, blood of soul, blood that binds, pay the toll, spare them suffering spare them pain, let my sacrifice not be in vain. Spare them sorrow, allow only for joy, life for life, the bond is set, the price paid now let the terms be met. In Yavanna's name I call, please Yavanna, save them all." Bilbo said, cutting his wrists a second time, before unwrapping the arm bandages on the three dwarves, the wounds were still bleeding. "The river of life runs red, allow them to take my blood, as I take theirs, give them life in my stead." Bilbo said and stared at the wounds as they closed, as the skin healed over, looking as though the injuries had been made months before. Bilbo nodded, this was his price and he would pay it gladly now.

He settled himself onto the cot, before taking the knife and slitting his own throat. The last sight he saw was the three princes sitting bolt upright. He smiled glad that his sacrifice hadn't been in vain and that he had saved those he cared about, then Bilbo Baggins surrendered to the darkness that drew him into its embrace.

_Bilbo was in a cave, he stared around him at the glittering jewels in surprise, how had he gotten here? "Do you wish to be my child, you can go back to us again if you wish, to be born again."_

_"I'd rather live life as a dwarf, then not live it at all." Bilbo said and the voice laughed._

_"You are certainly as strait spoken as my people, I asked Yavanna if I could change you, as you sacrificed for dwarves, there was nothing that she could do." He said and Bilbo stared at him for a moment, before the man vanished and Bilbo was surrounded by blackness once more_.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Bilbo awoke to the smell of mold and water trickling in from some unknown place. He hurt all over and frowned uncertain of as to how he had gotten there. He sat up slowly; he realized that something was wrong with his eyesight, as he seemed to be looking down at everything. He then realized that the legs he was looking down at weren't his own, weren't the ones he had been used to looking at for years, but rather seemed to belong to another. He slowly moved one leg and then the other, staring at the appendages in confusion.

He then slowly stood, the floor seeming much farther away then it used to. He walked slowly over to the cell door and banged on the bars. "Let me out!" Bilbo cried and felt shocked at the sound of his own voice. It was so much stronger than it had been and the words he spoke were so much gruffer then those that he was accustomed to. "Let me out!" Bilbo cried again and a dwarf in a guard's uniform came over to the bars.

"Are you aware of the charges of which you are accused?" The guard demanded. "You won't ever be seeing sunshine again, after killing one of the company that saved Erebor."

"Then let me talk to someone in the Company, please!" Bilbo begged and the guard stared at him.

"Why would they bother with someone like you, someone who has no honor and would slay a defenseless creature?" The guard demanded.

"At least tell me how the princes and the king are."

"Why so you can attempt to assassinate them once more? It is a wonder they were unscathed from your attack." The guard said and Bilbo stared at him in shock, apparently everyone thought that he had attacked Thorin and Fili and Kili. That he would hurt his friends.

"I would never harm them!" Bilbo said angrily. "You hear me, never!"

"So you claim, but anyone accused of what you have been would say the same." The guard said.

"Please just let me see them for a moment, let me explain."

"You have no right to make demands of me prisoner." The guard replied, before moving away from the cell door. Bilbo buried his head in his hands and began to cry. He hated dark cold places and apparently he would be here for a very long time indeed. It was one thing to die for his friends, but quite another to be trapped in a small cell with no hope of escape.

He sobbed until he fell into a light doze, which was disrupted by the sound of footsteps coming down the stone corridor. His head jerked up and he stared wide-eyed at the guard who left a bowl of stew outside the cell and backed away from the cell once more, before Bilbo had even woken. "There is a small comb among the bowl of soup, see that you're presentable, as you will be judged soon and sentenced accordingly." The dwarf said and Bilbo went over to the food and ate it quickly, it was practically impossible to keep it out of his beard. He then reached for the hair comb and realizing that his hair felt horrible went over to a sink. He rinsed his hair in the sink before starting to pull at the tangles. He let out a scream as he was hit with a pain so great he saw stars. It took him a moment to realize that the source of his pain had come from pulling harshly at his hair. He continued to brush it out slowly, yelping occasionally as he hit tangles that didn't respond easily to his coaxing.

Finally he had finished brushing out his hair and continued to work on his beard. He brushed it gently, but if possible it hurt worse then brushing out his hair had. He wondered briefly if brushing hair was some form of torture for dwarves. He ran his fingers through his hair and beard and was surprised by the feeling of comfort it brought. He continued to stroke his fingers through his hair and beard, feeling slightly better. It took a while for the guard to come back and Bilbo stared at him in slight confusion for a moment. "Well come on then, put your arms through the cell, one at a time." Bilbo did as the dwarf asked and then walked through the cell and winced slightly as the man grabbed his wrists none too gently and escorted him down the tunnel.

They moved from the stone dungeon and several people stared at Bilbo as he walked by, until Bilbo misjudged his footing and stumbled over a crack in the stone sprawling face down and banging his head hard against the concrete. He came to in some sort of audience hall and stared at Thorin in delight, before he considered where he was, he ran up to Thorin and hugged him. "You're alright, thank the Valar, you are alright, it was all worth it." Bilbo said and realized suddenly that Thorin had stiffened and that the guard was running up to Bilbo, other guards following him.

"What reason had you for killing Bilbo Baggins?" Thorin asked and the cold look he gave Bilbo hurt for a moment, before Bilbo was pulled into his gaze. Suddenly and without warning his vision narrowed until all he could see was Thorin's face, how his eyes glimmered like the most beautiful of gems. He moved towards them and frowned when they jumped up and came back down, his world was those eyes, those eyes that seemed to look into his very soul. Then he was moving towards them, as quickly as his feet could carry him. He tripped and nearly fell, but righted himself, his bound ankle hurting, but that didn't matter, nothing mattered but those eyes. Those wonderful, wonderful eyes that were just one facet of his most precious gem.

Then arms were around him, as their foreheads touched and Bilbo was able to stare fully into the eyes that had become his world. He felt nothing but a growing sense of hunger, of need, as there was a sudden stabbing pain in the back of his neck, gone just as soon as it came. He looked into those eyes and opened his mouth, gasping as another's plundered his mouth. He moaned arching his back and his hands gripped tightly around something, but he didn't know what it was, all he felt was the need and the heat and the hunger.

He darted his tongue forward licking at the tongue and got a chuckle in response, as hands came down to his ass and squeezed. He moaned louder this time and pushed himself against the one that was his world, pressing hardness to hardness.

"UNCLE, STOP!" A voice said from far away, but Bilbo paid it no mind and neither it seemed did his one, all that mattered in the moment was his one and seeing to his pleasure. All Bilbo wanted was to make the other to cry out in pleasure, to make him happy, that was all that mattered, that his one was happy. Then someone tried to pull him away from his one, he'd never struck anyone in his life before, but he elbowed whoever held him, twisting and crying, knowing that this was wrong, so wrong. They were meant to be together, how could anyone separate them?

His one was shouting, fighting the ones that held him, trying to get to Bilbo, trying to free himself. Bilbo felt rage fill him then, more anger then he'd ever felt before, it burned brighter then all that came before it. Bilbo would do whatever was necessary to get back to his one, to ensure that he was all right and happy. More then that he needed his one, like he had never needed anyone or anything in his life. He roared throwing both arms back and elbowing the dwarves that held him. He was strong, strong with the will to make it to his one, to ensure that those that threatened them would not dare to do so. He roared again this time barreling towards his one, oblivious to all around him, but the need, the need to take, the need to claim and be claimed.

He found that those that held his one let go of him and Bilbo growled, as they stepped backward, the room quickly clearing of everyone inside. Once they were alone and Bilbo knew it was safe he ran to his one and kissed him hard on the mouth, giving as freely as was taken. After that they claimed one another, lost to the bond that tied them together. Afterward Bilbo snuggled against his one, putting his head on the other's shoulder, closed his eyes and fell into sleep.


End file.
